


Retirement

by Blackghost7



Category: NCIS
Genre: Established Relationship, First Time, Future Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-22
Updated: 2015-06-22
Packaged: 2018-04-05 16:14:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4186446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blackghost7/pseuds/Blackghost7
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Think they suspect anything?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Retirement

It was at the impromptu retirement party that the apparently best kept secret of NCIS finally came out into the open. They hadn’t intended to keep it a secret all this time, they just hadn’t openly spoken about it, and no one had ever asked them outright. It was only in the very beginning that they had really discussed it.  
   
*****  
   
Gibbs blew out a deep breath as he caressed his hands over Tony’s back, both their bodies still trembling from the release that had rushed through them only moments before. Tony sighed in contentment when he felt Gibbs trace his spine with soft kisses, and turned his head to look at the older man over his shoulder.  
   
“Are you always this passionate?”  
   
Gibbs chuckled.  
   
“You seem to bring it out in me. You mind?”  
   
“Absolutely not, Gibbs. You just about melted my brain. And I can’t wait for you to do it again.”  
   
Another soft kiss, this time to the back of his neck as Gibbs covered Tony’s body with his own again.  
   
“I may need a few more minutes for that. But you do inspire me.”  
   
Tony grinned when he felt Gibbs’ flagging arousal twitch against his ass again.  
   
“You’re insatiable! I love it!”  
   
When Tony started to push up, Gibbs rolled off him onto his side, and Tony turned in his arms so they were facing each other. Tony softly traced his fingers over Gibbs’ cheek.  
   
“So, Navy Guy… Do this often?”  
   
Gibbs shook his head before he captured Tony’s lips in another kiss.  
   
“Nope. Just with you. You seem to make me want to break all kinds of rules.”  
   
Tony raised an eyebrow.  
   
“What kind of rules?”  
   
“My rules.”  
   
“You have a lot of them?”  
   
Gibbs chuckled.  
   
“Accept my offer and you’ll find out.”  
   
“You meant that then? About me coming to NCIS to work for you?”  
   
Gibbs stared into Tony’s eyes steadily, holding the green gaze so Tony could see the truth.  
   
“I did. Breaking another rule for you, but I want you there.”  
   
Tony grinned.  
   
“You wanted me here too.”  
   
Gibbs quirked his lips.  
   
“True. Which is breaking yet another rule.”  
   
Tony stretched his body against Gibbs’, rubbing up against him, and pressed another kiss to the older man’s mouth.  
   
“Which rules are we breaking? Tell me.”  
   
“I’m still married, although in the process of divorce. I shouldn’t have taken you to my bed.”  
   
“Technically, you took me to my bed.”  
   
Gibbs chuckled, and gave Tony another kiss.  
   
“You’re engaged. That alone should have made me keep my hands off of you.”  
   
“Thank heavens you didn’t. I love the feeling of your hands all over me.”  
   
“And when you come to NCIS…”  
   
“When?”  
   
Tony quirked his eyebrow in amusement at Gibbs’ certainty that Tony would indeed come with him. Gibbs smiled.  
   
“When you come to NCIS, I’ll be breaking another rule. Never date a co-worker.”  
   
“Will we be dating then?”  
   
“Well, maybe not so much dating… I don’t have to win you over. You’re already mine.”  
   
Tony laughed.  
   
“I like this arrogant assuredness of yours, Gibbs.”  
   
Giving Tony another kiss, Gibbs looked into his eyes again.  
   
“Am I wrong?”  
   
Panting breathlessly, Tony tightened his arms around his lover. Then he admitted it softly.  
   
“No.”  
   
“Good.”  
   
Losing themselves in more kisses and caresses, which led to another spectacular round of sex, no words were spoken for a while. But when they were spooned up together afterwards, Gibbs broached the subject again.  
   
“No one can know, Tony.”  
   
Tony nodded.  
   
“I understand.”  
   
“At least not for a while. I can’t have anyone thinking that the reason I want you on my team is because we’re sleeping together. That wouldn’t be fair to you.”  
   
“It’s okay, Gibbs. I wouldn’t want anyone to think that either.”  
   
“So you’re okay with keeping this to ourselves for now?”  
   
“I am. I don’t want to share this yet either. I want to keep you for myself for a while.”  
   
“I like that.”  
   
Gibbs smiled in contentment, pressed another kiss to Tony’s neck, and then they both dozed off into a sated sleep.  
   
   
It was barely a week later when Tony showed up at NCIS, less one fiancée, less one partner, and less one job, smiling and eager to see Gibbs again and embark on this new path. Tony may have been the one who bowled Gibbs over in that alley in Baltimore, but Gibbs had bowled him over just as hard, turning his life upside down.  
   
After the tour of the Yard and Tony’s trip to Personnel to fill out his application, Gibbs took Tony home. They had hardly made it through the door before they were on each other, exchanging deep kisses, reconnecting even though it had only been a week since they had last been together. Gibbs took Tony upstairs and they quickly undressed each other, falling onto the bed with limbs entangled, lips locked on each other, and deep moans shared with each other, and when Gibbs buried himself in Tony at last, they both sighed in contentment. Looking up at his lover, Tony softly brushed his fingers over Gibbs’ cheek.  
   
“I missed this.”  
   
“Me too.”  
   
“Make love to me, Jethro.”  
   
Staring down at his lover with eyes burning with desire, Gibbs did just that.  
   
   
Tony stayed with Gibbs those first few weeks while he was going through his FLETC training, meanwhile looking for an apartment, because they had agreed that Tony would need his own place no matter how much time they would be spending together. Neither was ready to move in together, Tony having just had his engagement broken off, Gibbs still going through his third divorce, both men needing to guard their heart, even against each other. Tony found a place and Gibbs helped him move in, feeling an odd sense of loss when he returned to his house without Tony there for the first time in weeks, and Gibbs spent the night in his basement, knowing he wouldn’t be able to sleep. When he saw Tony the following morning, the younger man had dark circles under his eyes. When they got a quiet moment alone, Gibbs eyed Tony in concern.  
   
“Rough night?”  
   
“Couldn’t sleep.”  
   
“Tough time getting used to your new place?”  
   
“No. Missed your arms around me.”  
   
Gibbs smiled.  
   
“Come over tonight?”  
   
The light that appeared in Tony’s eyes made something warm blossom in Gibbs’ chest, and the happy little smile that Tony gave him made his heart flutter. They both slept well that night, curled around each other.  
   
   
When Gibbs introduced Tony to Ducky on his first day on Gibbs’ team, the ME watched with curious eyes the way the two men moved together. Gibbs had told Ducky about Tony, about finding him in Baltimore and having a gut feeling about the young man, but the way Gibbs had taken to Tony was quite extraordinary. Ducky knew Gibbs well, and he knew his friend took a long time to warm up to people, and certainly to trust them. But young Anthony seemed to have broken through Gibbs’ barriers immediately, and Ducky could see that Gibbs already trusted him. They moved together as if Tony had been on Gibbs’ six for years already, following half a step behind his boss seemingly without having to look where they were going, and Ducky wondered what might have happened in Baltimore for them to have grown this close in such a short time.  
   
Ducky saw the pride in Gibbs’ eyes whenever he looked at Tony, and saw the admiration in Tony’s when he looked at Gibbs, and he figured the two had found something in each other that they had both been missing. He knew Gibbs was an excellent mentor if you managed to look past the gruffness, and Tony seemed to lap up everything Gibbs taught him with relish, smiling through the headslaps with a fondness in his eyes. And when Ducky learned more about Tony’s past, he figured that what Tony had found in Gibbs was a father-figure he could trust, something he had been sorely lacking until now. So Ducky classified the relationship between the two in his own mind, happy for his friend that he had found someone he could teach and nurture, and happy for Anthony that he had found a mentor he could trust and look up to.  
   
Abby eyed Tony warily when Gibbs introduced them, having heard tales from Ducky about the extraordinary rapport between Gibbs and Tony, and she didn’t like it one bit. Gibbs was hers, after all, and no handsome young ex-cop was going to take her silver fox away from her! But when Tony smiled and joked and actually turned out to be pretty smart and sharp, she melted, and within days the two of them were giggling together like schoolchildren, earning exasperated glares from Gibbs who didn’t understand half the things they were saying to each other. Abby too saw the way the two men moved together, and her mind puzzled over it for a little bit, trying to find out how they could have grown so close so quickly. But Gibbs still gave Abby hugs and kisses, while Tony got headslaps, so Abby was content that she was still Gibbs’ favorite, and she and Tony quickly became best friends.  
   
   
“Think they suspect anything?”  
   
Gibbs kissed his way up Tony’s chest after having pleasured his lover with his mouth, and settled his body over Tony’s, leaning down for a kiss before answering.  
   
“Really? You’re thinking about them now, when we’re in bed together?”  
   
“I can focus on more than one thing at a time, you know.”  
   
“And here I was thinking that you had a one-track mind.”  
   
Giving Tony a deep kiss that earned him a delighted moan, Gibbs looked down at his lover with a twinkle in his eyes.  
   
“Or did I just not do a good enough job of distracting you?”  
   
Tony rubbed his body against Gibbs sensuously, smiling up at him.  
   
“Hmmm… I’m not sure… Maybe you should do it again?”  
   
Gibbs laughed and rolled them onto their sides, holding Tony close as they drifted off into sleep.  
   
   
Tony spent most of his nights at Gibbs’, and slowly but surely his things found a place in Gibbs’ home too. Half his wardrobe was neatly tucked away in Gibbs’ closet, a large part of his DVD collection stacked on the shelves upstairs, books, music and even kitchen appliances migrating back from Tony’s apartment to Gibbs’ house. Abby and Ducky didn’t seem to notice the few times they came round to visit Gibbs, since most of it was stashed upstairs, and they rarely came further than the basement or living room. The one time Abby showed up to find Tony’s DVD player on the coffee table and Tony’s shoes in the hall, his sweatshirt thrown over the back of the couch, she looked at Gibbs curiously.  
   
“Something wrong with Tony’s apartment again?”  
   
Gibbs shrugged.  
   
“You know, he can come stay with me for a while if he’s bothering you. I’d love to have him over! We can have movie nights and pajama parties…”  
   
“He’s not bothering me, Abbs. Plenty of room here. He knows when to give me space.”  
   
Abby’s face fell a little.  
   
“Oh… Okay.”  
   
“But I’m sure he’d love to have a movie night with you. Why don’t you ask him?”  
   
“Ask me what?”  
   
Abby turned at the sound of Tony’s voice, and saw him come jogging down the stairs. She looked at him hopefully.  
   
“Movie night? You and me? Sometime soon?”  
   
Tony glanced at Gibbs, who gave him a tiny nod.  
   
“Love to, Abbs! Tomorrow?”  
   
Bouncing with glee, Abby threw her arms around Tony’s neck and gave him an enthusiastic hug, which he returned with pleasure. Tony started listing their options for the movies they could watch, and within moments had Abby so distracted that she didn’t even question his presence in Gibbs' house anymore.  
   
That evening, lying in his lover’s arms, Tony sighed.  
   
“What’s wrong?”  
   
“Nothing.”  
   
“Then what was that sigh for?”  
   
“Tomorrow.”  
   
“You don’t want to do movie night with Abby?”  
   
Tony snuggled a little closer, burying his face in Gibbs’ neck.  
   
“Of course I do. But I never sleep well without you. I’ll miss you.”  
   
Smiling, Gibbs brushed a kiss to the top of Tony’s head.  
   
“I know. Me too.”  
   
   
By the time Cait and later McGee joined the team, everyone at NCIS knew about the bond between Gibbs and his Second, though no one knew the exact nature of it. Cait asked Abby about it once.  
   
“They seem very close. A little closer than is normal?”  
   
“They’ve always been that way. Ever since Tony’s first day here. They just clicked, I guess.”  
   
“I don’t know… It seems like something more to me. A different connection. Attraction, maybe?”  
   
Abby grinned.  
   
“I wish! Can you imagine? Hot, hot, hot! But I really don’t think it’s like that. Gibbs has three ex-wives, and Tony dates a lot.”  
   
Cait conceded the point.  
   
Abby joked about it with Tony a couple of days later, during another one of their movie nights. Tony just grinned back at her, but brought it up with Gibbs the next night while they were lying in bed together.  
   
“What do you think she saw to make her think that?”  
   
“I don’t know, Tony. We’ve always kept this away from work.”  
   
“Well, she is a profiler, of course…”  
   
“True.”  
   
Gibbs pulled Tony a little closer against him.  
   
“Tony?”  
   
“Hmmm?”  
   
“Do you want to tell them?”  
   
Tony remained silent for long moments, his mind racing. On the one hand, he wanted to shout from the rooftops that he was happy and in love, on the other hand, this was private and intimate, and he kind of liked it that way. He liked that he was the only one who knew Jethro instead of Gibbs, and he didn’t feel like sharing. He knew that if they told their friends, there would be all kinds of questions that he wouldn’t want to answer. And there was always the danger that he would be put on another team if word got out, and he certainly didn’t want that. After long minutes, Tony shook his head.  
   
“No. I like that this is just between us, for now.”  
   
Gibbs gave him a soft kiss.  
   
“Me too.”  
   
   
Tony’s world came crashing down around him with the explosion that lost Gibbs his memory. It hurt Tony to see his lover in so much pain, and he wished there was anything he could do, but it felt like a knife was being twisted in his heart when he realized that Gibbs didn’t even remember him. Tony had known about Shannon and Kelly for a long time, but he couldn’t let anyone know that, couldn’t give away their secret, certainly not now. He was afraid his friends would pity him, or mock him that apparently he didn’t mean enough to Gibbs for him to remember their relationship, and he couldn’t face that. When Gibbs left, Tony tried to keep a brave face, but in the evenings he retreated to his apartment and licked his wounds in private. It took him more than two weeks to drum up enough courage to go to Gibbs’ house, and another two weeks before he finally managed to pack up his things there and bring them back to his own place. With every item he packed into the boxes, his heart broke a little more.  
   
By the time Gibbs returned, Tony was deep into the whole mess with Jeanne, and Gibbs still gave no indication that he remembered what had been between him and Tony before. That changed the night of the day that Tony’s car blew up, and Tony heard a soft knock on his door. Surprised but wary when he spotted Gibbs in his hallway, Tony opened the door and let him in. Grabbing some beers, they settled on the couch and drank in silence for a while, staring at the muted television but not watching it. At last Gibbs put down his beer and slowly reached out his hand, placing it gently on the back of Tony’s neck. Tony turned his head to look at Gibbs, and they finally let each other see the pain in their eyes.  
   
“Oh, Tony…”  
   
Gibbs sighed and gently pulled Tony to him, grateful when Tony came willingly and settled against his chest. Holding each other in a strong embrace, their breathing matched up and they found the comfort in each other’s arms that they had both been missing for months. It took a long time before they were able to speak.  
   
“I thought I lost you today, Tony.”  
   
“I know.”  
   
“It hurt so much, I couldn’t breathe.”  
   
“I know. I did lose you, remember?”  
   
“I do remember. And I’m sorry.”  
   
“Do you remember everything?”  
   
“Everything that’s important. Everything about you. About you and me. How much I love you.”  
   
“You remembered that today?”  
   
“No.”  
   
“When?”  
   
“Mexico.”  
   
“You never showed me. Why?”  
   
“Jeanne. I thought you’d moved on.”  
   
Tony shook his head against Gibbs’ chest and tightened his hold. The emotion was clearly audible in his voice.  
   
“Never.”  
   
“But you have feelings for her?”  
   
“I do. But nothing compared to what I feel for you.”  
   
“Where does that leave us?”  
   
Tony sighed.  
   
“I don’t know. I just know that I miss you.”  
   
Gibbs kissed the top of Tony’s head, and gently squeezed his arms a little tighter around Tony.  
   
“Miss you too.”  
   
   
That night was the first time ever that Gibbs spent the night at Tony’s place. They didn’t do anything other than hold each other, a tight fit in Tony’s single bed, but the closeness suited them both fine. Even after Jeanne was out of the picture, it took weeks before they finally got back together. They had been spending a lot of nights together, rebuilding what they had had before the explosion, but never did more than kiss and hold each other, until finally, one morning, Gibbs woke up to find Tony kissing his way down Gibbs’ chest with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.  
   
“And what are you doing?”  
   
“What does it look like, Jethro?”  
   
“It looks like you’re teasing me.”  
   
“You’ve been teasing me for weeks now.”  
   
“Not intentionally…”  
   
“No? Kissing me and holding me, but never taking it further? That wasn’t intentional?”  
   
“I thought…”  
   
“Stop thinking, Jethro. Just feel for a while.”  
   
And Gibbs stretched out, letting Tony feast on him for a while until he was ready to explode.  
   
“Please, Tony…”  
   
Crawling up Gibbs’ body until he reached his lips, Tony kissed him softly.  
   
“Please what, Gibbs?”  
   
“I want you.”  
   
“Then make love to me, Jethro.”  
   
Rolling them over so Gibbs was on top, they wrapped around each other, Tony’s legs tight around Gibbs’ waist, Tony’s arms around his shoulders. Taking his time, Gibbs slowly entered Tony, earning a sigh of relief and desire when he finally bottomed out. Gibbs held still and stared down at his lover, caressing his cheeks with the backs of his fingers, kissing Tony softly.  
   
“I love you, Anthony.”  
   
Tony beamed a happy smile at his lover, which stayed on his face until Gibbs started moving, and then it was replaced with moans of desire and a glazed look of pleasure as Gibbs took them both higher than ever before. Tony let himself soar and then fall over the edge freely, secure in the knowledge that Gibbs would catch him when he came down. And Gibbs did.  
   
   
As the years passed, things between them remained largely the same. Tony basically lived at Gibbs’ house, spending only a few nights a month at his own apartment, and more and more of his things made their way over to Alexandria. But Tony never gave up his lease, and Gibbs never asked him outright to move in. Sometimes they had explosive fights, brought on by their stubbornness and inability to communicate when it mattered. Gibbs got jealous over Tony’s flirting, and Tony was exasperated when Gibbs told him to go and find himself a wife and have a family. They shouted at each other and treated each other to icy silences, they both had affairs with women when they were fighting, but in the end, it always came back to a single, simple thing.  
   
They loved each other.  
   
   
Tony woke up one sunny Sunday morning to the feeling of his lover’s fingers softly stroking through his hair, and when he opened his eyes, found Gibbs sitting on the edge of the bed, looking down at him with a soft smile. Tony smiled back automatically.  
   
“Hey.”  
   
“Happy anniversary, Tony.”  
   
Tony raised his eyebrow, and Gibbs chuckled.  
   
“It’s fifteen years ago today that we got together in Baltimore.”  
   
Tony’s eyes widened, then softened.  
   
“Happy anniversary, Jethro.”  
   
After sharing a gentle kiss, Gibbs stared at Tony again, looking a little uncomfortable. Tony softly brushed his fingers over Gibbs’ cheek.  
   
“What ‘s wrong?”  
   
Gibbs shook his head.  
   
“Nothing. Nothing. I just… I wanted to ask…”  
   
Tony couldn’t help but smile at his lover. It wasn’t often he saw Gibbs flustered. Gibbs took a deep breath and focused his eyes on Tony again.  
   
“I want… Tony… Will you move in with me?”  
   
Tony chuckled.  
   
“I kind of already live here. I thought you would have noticed.”  
   
“I mean, officially. You haven’t spent a single night at your apartment for more than two years. I want to know if you’ll stay. Forever.”  
   
Tony smiled happily, then narrowed his eyes. But the twinkle in them told Gibbs that even though Tony was serious, his next words were laced with humor.  
   
“Are you really done with all that me-having-a-family-bullshit?”  
   
Gibbs grimaced.  
   
“I haven’t said that in years.”  
   
“Finally believe me when I say you’re all I want, Jethro?”  
   
Now Gibbs smiled softly at his lover.  
   
“Yes, I do.”  
   
“Took you long enough.”  
   
“Lucky for me you’re such a tenacious bastard then.”  
   
Tony grinned broadly.  
   
“I learned from the best, Jethro.”  
   
And then Tony pulled Gibbs down for a kiss that turned into something much more very quickly. Gibbs stared up at his lover as Tony slowly rode him, their eyes locked on each other, and Gibbs couldn’t believe how beautiful Tony still was like this, or that Tony still loved him and wanted him the same way as all those years ago. But instead of fighting against it, Gibbs finally accepted it, and when Tony leaned down for another kiss, Gibbs opened up and let his lover into his soul forever.  
   
Afterwards, holding Tony in his arms, Gibbs couldn’t help but ask.  
   
“By the way, was that a yes?”  
   
Tony grinned at him, his eyes sparkling mischievously.  
   
“Did I forget to mention it? I called to cancel my lease four weeks ago. I officially don’t live there anymore as of tomorrow.”  
   
Gibbs looked stunned for a moment, then drew Tony back to him for another kiss, tracing lazy circles over Tony’s back with his fingers as their tongues played together.  
   
“Jethro?”  
   
Gibbs hummed.  
   
“When you say ‘officially’, do you mean we’re going to tell them?”  
   
This was something they hadn’t talked about for years, and Gibbs tried to read the answer Tony wanted in his eyes.  
   
“Might be a bit uncomfortable to explain after all this time. They’ll find out soon enough. You’ll have to file a change of address with HR.”  
   
When Tony smiled at him, Gibbs knew he had made the right call. Like him, Tony would rather the team found out by themselves than have an extremely awkward conversation with them. They knew there would be questions, and they would answer them truthfully, but neither one of them really wanted to volunteer the information. How do you find the right time for something like that?  
   
   
For days after Tony had given his new details to HR, they kept an eye on their team, wondering when the questions would come. But they didn’t. Either no one at HR realized it was Gibbs’ address, or the person who had edited Tony’s file was actually discreet. There was no gossip, no rumors. Gibbs and Tony were stunned but grateful.  
   
   
It was another three years later when Gibbs got shot in the shoulder again, and as he was approaching the mandatory retirement age for field agents anyway, Ducky tried to persuade Gibbs to take retirement. Gibbs balked at the very idea, and Ducky was getting nowhere with his arguments. Tony let Gibbs simmer in peace for a while, knowing Gibbs needed to get used to the idea, and he waited patiently while making plans of his own. It took nearly two weeks, and Tony was curled up against Gibbs, his head resting on Gibbs’ good shoulder, when Gibbs softly spoke.  
   
“What would I do all day, Tony?”  
   
“Anything you want.”  
   
“I don’t see myself puttering around here all day, waiting for you to come home.”  
   
“You could start a carpentry shop…”  
   
“I only like making what I want to make, not what other people want.”  
   
Tony hid a small smile.  
   
“You could write a book about your life…”  
   
Gibbs just snorted. Tony took a deep breath, and then took the plunge, speaking softly.  
   
“You could finally take me sailing around the world…”  
   
Tony felt Gibbs’ breathing come to a halt, and waited anxiously.  
   
“What?”  
   
“Sailing. You and me. Around the world.”  
   
“What… what about the team?”  
   
Tony shrugged.  
   
“They can give it to Balboa, or find someone else.”  
   
“But… I always thought you would take over the team. That was always my intention.”  
   
Now Tony sat up, careful not to jostle Gibbs and hurt his shoulder.  
   
“It wasn’t mine. Sure, it would have been nice to have my own team, but if I really wanted that I would have accepted one years ago. I’m your SFA, Jethro, always was and always will be.”  
   
Gibbs stared up at him in amazement.  
   
“Tony…”  
   
“I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I don’t want to be out there without you on my six. You know I have money, more than enough, so I don’t need to work. And I just want to be with you.”  
   
Gibbs needed a few moments to let the enormity of Tony’s statement sink in. His eyes were shining with emotion when he reached out his good hand to brush it over Tony’s cheek.  
   
“I love you, Tony.”  
   
Tony took Gibbs’ hand and kissed his fingers.  
   
“I love you too, Jethro. You don’t have to decide now. Think about it for a while. Your shoulder is going to take some time to heal, so it’s not like we’re in a hurry. We can make plans. I just wanted you to know… this is what I always wanted. To be with you.”  
   
And then Tony settled back against Gibbs again, carefully putting his arm around him, letting the darkness take him into sleep.  
   
   
They needed a bigger boat. They would have to make plans for the route to take, check on weather conditions in the different parts of the world in the period they would be there, make arrangements for supplies. He needed to focus on his physical therapy to ensure that his shoulder would be up to it.  
   
Gibbs smiled when he felt and heard Tony fall asleep. He didn’t need to think about it. It was what he wanted too.  
   
   
His shoulder was healing well, and Gibbs had had many meetings with Vance to make the arrangements for his retirement. When Vance asked him for his recommendation for his successor, Gibbs named Balboa. Vance actually looked surprised.  
   
“Not DiNozzo?”  
   
“He doesn’t want it.”  
   
“He’d stay as SFA under Balboa?”  
   
“Why don’t we call him in here. The three of us can talk.”  
   
When Tony got called into the Director’s office, McGee and Bishop raised questioning eyes, but Tony ignored them for now. He was pretty sure what this was about, and he took a deep breath to calm himself even as he took the stairs two at a time. Stepping inside, a single look at Gibbs told Tony that indeed this was what they had expected. Tony took the second chair opposite the Director’s desk.  
   
“Sir?”  
   
“You know that Agent Gibbs is retiring.”  
   
It was a statement, not a question. Tony nodded anyway.  
   
“Of course.”  
   
“And he tells me you don’t want the team lead of the MCRT.”  
   
“I don’t.”  
   
“And something tells me that you’re not staying as Senior Field Agent either.”  
   
“No, Sir, I’m not.”  
   
“And you’re not looking for a transfer.”  
   
“No.”  
   
Vance sighed.  
   
“You’re leaving NCIS too.”  
   
“Yes, Sir.”  
   
Vance interlaced his fingers, tapping his index fingers against his lips in thought for a moment. Then he grinned at the two men across from him.  
   
“Finally going on your honeymoon?”  
   
Vance was secretly impressed with the two men as they managed to keep their expressions completely blank. But then there was a tiny twitch at the corner of Gibbs’ left eye, and Vance counted that as a victory. His grin widened.  
   
“We’re not married, Leon.”  
   
“Perhaps not, Jethro. But you’ve been living together for over three years at least, and probably been together a lot longer than that.”  
   
He was met by more blank stares. Vance sighed.  
   
“I sign off on all alterations to personnel records, gentlemen. Who do you think made sure there were no rumors?”  
   
Tony cleared his throat.  
   
“You never asked.”  
   
“If I had asked, you would have told me the truth, and then I would have had to separate you. As long as it was unconfirmed, I could deny it.”  
   
Gibbs and Tony glanced at each other.  
   
“Thank you, Leon.”  
   
“You’re welcome, Gibbs. Does your team know?”  
   
“I don’t think so.”  
   
Vance nodded.  
   
“I don’t think so either. Quite a surprise for them, on top of both of you leaving.”  
   
“They’ll adjust.”  
   
“I hope so. I don’t want to lose anyone else. Alright, then. DiNozzo, we’ll talk later about arranging your early retirement.”  
   
Tony nodded as they got up, understanding that they were being dismissed. Just as Tony reached to open the door, Vance stopped them.  
   
“Gentlemen?”  
   
Turning back, they both raised an eyebrow in question. Vance smirked.  
   
“Out of curiosity, may I ask how long?”  
   
Gibbs and Tony looked at each other, and with a small smile, Gibbs reached up to cup Tony’s cheek.  
   
“Since the day we met, Leon. Since the day we met.”  
   
The gentle gesture from Gibbs and Tony’s answering soft smile told Vance exactly the depth of their feelings for each other, and he couldn’t help but feel happy for the two. Without looking back at the Director, they left his office. Vance kept the smile off his face until after the door had closed behind them.  
   
   
It took a few more days to sort everything out with HR, and then it was time to tell the team. Knowing that there would be questions, they decided to invite everyone over to their house on Saturday afternoon, so they could talk in private without having to worry about the rest of the bullpen listening in. With all the time both Gibbs and Tony had been spending with the Director, they all knew that something was going on, but they also knew they would have to wait until Saturday to find out what. Not even Abby managed to get Tony to spill the beans, much to her chagrin.  
   
That Saturday morning they war lying in bed together, breathing heavily while they recovered from their high, but where normally Tony would plaster himself against Gibbs, this time Tony had rolled onto his back and was staring up at the ceiling. Gibbs leaned up and reached out his hand to caress his lover's chest.

"Hey. You okay, Tony?"

"Sure."

"Come on. What's wrong?"

Gibbs noticed a slight twitch at the corner of Tony's eye. He nodded to himself in understanding.

"You're nervous. And worried."

Tony finally turned his head to look at Gibbs.

"We lied to them, Jethro. Or at least we kept something pretty important from them."

"It's private."

"Yeah. But… I would have wanted to know, would have felt I deserved to know, if it had been… I don't know… you and McGee or something."

Gibbs couldn't contain a snort of laughter, and Tony grinned with him for a moment before the grin faded again. His voice was small.

"Do you think they'll be mad at me?"

Even after eighteen years together, Tony's insecurities still made Gibbs' heart break. His hand moved to Tony's cheek so he could softly caress it and keep Tony's eyes on him at the same time.

"Why would they be mad at you?"

Tony sighed.

"Because everyone knows better than to ask you something personal. I'm the one who always talked about my dates and stuff. They'll think I lied to them all these years."

"Did you?"

"No. But I didn't say that all those wild bedroom adventures I was talking about were with you, now did I? I pretended. Made them think it was with some girl."

"And sometimes they were."

"Yeah, sometimes. But I don't want to think about that, because that was only when you and I were… I don't want to remember that. Not being with you."

"I know, Tony."

And this time it was Gibbs who curled up against Tony, put his head on Tony's shoulder, and sighed.

"We could always say it was me who ordered you not to tell anyone… They know I'm a bastard anyway."

"But that isn't true either. Can't erase one lie with another."

Gibbs softly brushed his hand over Tony's chest.

"Why don't we just see how it goes. They're our friends. They know us. They'll understand."

Tony kissed the top of Gibbs' head, but Gibbs caught the quiet mutter.

"I hope you're right, Jethro."

 

Ducky and Palmer arrived first, and Ducky let out a pleased exclamation when he noticed Tony's things all over the house.

"Ah, Jethro! I see you have taken at least some of my advice! Anthony! It's so good of you to come stay here and help Jethro during his recovery."

Tony and Gibbs exchanged glances, but this wasn't the time to explain yet. They wanted to go through this only once, so for the moment they just shrugged off Ducky's comment, and ushered the two outside to the back yard, where they had set up chairs and side tables in the sunshine. A moment later, Abby's voice came ringing through the hallway.

"Gibbs? We're here! Timmy and me! Where are you? Gibbs?"

Tony poked his head around the corner and smiled at his best friend and McGee. 

"We're out back, Abbs, Tim. Come on."

"Tony! You're here already!"

But then Abby glanced around and noticed the same thing Ducky had. She smiled.

"Oh! You already were here. Taking care of the Bossman again, Tony? He's lucky to have you!"

"Yes, I am, Abbs."

Gibbs smiled as he heard Abby's words, and secretly loved the small blush that appeared on his lover's face. Accepting Abby's hug, glad she was careful because of his shoulder, Gibbs brought them out to the back yard as well, while Tony went to the door to open it for Bishop, who had rung the bell.

"This door's always open, Bish. No need to ring."

"Hey, Tony. I don't know… It just seems kind of weird to just walk into someone else's house…"

Tony laughed and started to lead her out back as well, but Bishop's eyes glanced into the living room and then back to Tony.

"You've been here a while already."

Tony tried to stay casual, but it felt like an accusation to his guilty mind.

"What?"

"Those are your sweats. Gibbs doesn't play the piano as far as I know, but you do. Gibbs doesn't watch movies, you do."

"Ehm…"

"See? I always knew there was something different between the two of you. Gibbs lets you get away with things McGee and I never would. He looks at you differently."

Tony gaped at her. She placed a hand over his heart and whispered to him.

"I'm an analyst, Tony. I wouldn't be a very good one if…"

"Tony?"

"Yeah, Tim?"

"Gibbs says to grab some beers!"

"Will do, McThirsty!"

Looking back down at Bishop, Tony raised his eyebrow. She could clearly see his nervousness.

"Don't worry. I think they'll be fine with it. They love you both. I'll miss the two of you though."

Staring after her while she made her way outside to join the others, Tony grabbed some beers and took a deep breath before facing the firing squad.

 

"So…"

Gibbs stared at the people who had been his family for a long time and rubbed his hand over his neck. Once Tony had handed out the drinks, he had dropped into the chair next to where Gibbs was standing, his eyes glued to his own hands, to daring to face them. 

"So… I'm retiring."

Ducky smiled, Bishop nodded, the others looked a little shaken. 

"It's nearly time anyway," Gibbs continued. "And with this shoulder injury, well… It's time."

Abby looked heartbroken, and McGee gulped. Palmer looked at Ducky for affirmation, but when he saw his mentor smile, Palmer smiled as well. 

"But… Gibbs… What will you do?"

"Sail, Abbs. I'm going sailing."

"But… What about the team? Oh. Oh! Tony will take over! Yay, Tony!"

Confused when Tony seemed to slump even further into his chair, Abby looked to Gibbs again. Gibbs cleared his throat.

"Tony won't take over…"

Before Gibbs could get any further, there were mutters of outrage from everyone except Bishop. But then Gibbs reached out his hand and brushed it softly through Tony's hair. Tony looked up at him, bolstered by the touch, and as always, responding to Gibbs immediately. The soft smile Gibbs loved appeared instantly.

"My lover is coming with me."

The silence was deafening. Gibbs tried to joke, but failed miserably.

"What? You didn't know?"

When no one responded for long minutes, Gibbs actually started to get a little angry. Tony sensed it immediately, and stood up to face his lover. 

"Jethro…"

Gibbs' eyes focused on Tony's, and the glare softened instantly. Gibbs smiled.

"Oh dear heavens…"

They turned to stare at Abby who had made the soft remark. She looked up at them.

"Cait said… I said she was wrong. But she wasn't, was she? Even back then? Really? I said it would be so hot! And it is! I mean… how long??"

Seeing the emotion in his lover's eyes, Gibbs cleared his throat before looking back over at Abby. Then he stood behind Tony, closed his arms around his lover and rested his chin on Tony's shoulder. It took a few seconds, but then Gibbs felt Tony melt into him. Tony had closed his eyes, so he didn't see the looks of approval on their friends' faces. Gibbs spoke softly.

"Forever, Abbs. From the beginning, until the end."

Tony gasped softly when he heard what Gibbs said. They had declared their love for each other before, but for Gibbs to do it in front of everyone who mattered… He quietly pleaded.

"Jethro…"

Turning Tony around in his embrace, Gibbs had no qualms at all about kissing his lover with everyone watching. He heard a squeal from Abby and chuckles from the others, but he didn't care. All that mattered was that Tony was in his arms, kissing him back, loving him. They would figure out the rest later, after they had eaten, and partied, and he had taken his lover to bed and showed him exactly how much a part of his soul Tony was.


End file.
